Tobacco sifter



Jun 1, 1937.

TOBACCO S IFTER Filed May 22, 1935 H. T. WIDGRl-EN 2,082,039-

Patented June 1, 1937 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tobacco sifters, and more specifically it relates to a device for salvaging tobacco in tobacco pipes which is ordinarily thrown away. For example, with pipe smokers when a pipe smoker knocks the contents out of his pipe to empty the bowl; in almost every case there is a certain amount of good tobacco unused which is thrown away. If this unused tobacco were saved to the tobacco smoker it will be manilO fest to any one experienced with pipe smoking that there will be a substantial saving in the cost of tobacco.

I have provided a device somewhat similar to an ordinary tobacco tin with a screen basket l5 inclosed therein. When a pipe smoker desires to empty his bowl, instead of throwing the contents away in an ashtray or otherwise, he may empty the contents into my tin with the contents dropping into the screen basket. The tin may be closed and then the ashes and the good tobacco may be shaken together and sifted, with the ashes falling through the basket to be removed as will hereinafter more fully appear. It will thus be seen that after the sifting operation the good tobacco may be recovered.

In addition to the foregoing, it has been an object to provide a device of the kind described which may be made inexpensively, which will be simple and eflicient in operation and durable.

Other objects and advantages will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specication, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the container;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the container;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a plan section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, the preferred form of my invention selected for purposes of illustrating the principle thereof is sho-wn applied to a container' I0 which may be a can or tin somewhat similar to the ordinary pipev tobacco tin, having a front wall I I, a back wall I2, and rounded vertical ends I3. The wall I2 is provided with a hinge I4 for a cover I5. The cover in the form shown has an upper plate I6 and a lower plate I'I, between which there may be provided a layer of asbestos I8 or other equivalent material, the

(Cl. 20G-37) plates I 6 and AI 'I and the asbestos I8 being secured together by means of rivets I9 or other suitable means. The plates I6 and I'I are extended outwardly beyond the wall II as shown in Fig. 5 to form a lip 2D on the cover for convenience in grasping the cover to open and close the same. The lower plate II which may be made of resilient material', may be bent to provide a Spring catch 2 I. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, the catch may function to force the front wall I I outwardly to a slight degree, or the catch 2I may be arranged to move inwardly a slight degree so as to lock the cover. It will also be understood that the catch 2| may be provided with a slight are or bevel to permit the catch to slide easily into locking position, as shown in Fig. 5 particularly. The walls ll and I2 and the rounded portions i3 may be provided at their upper ends with a fold 22 to clamp and secure the upper end of a wire basket 23 against the walls II and I2 and the rounded portions I3. The wire basket 23 in the form shown, terminates short of the bottom to provide an ash receiving chamber 24. The sides of the basket 23 may be secured together by means of clamps 25. As will be clear from Fig. 5, the basket conforms generally to the contour of the inside of the can or container I Il.

The walls II and I2 and the rounded portions I3 have a raised bottom 26 as shown in Fig. 2, with a ange 2l. An elongated slot 28 as shown in Fig. 3, is provided in the bottom 26, said slot having a locking extension 29'. A movable closure plate 3i) is adapted to be reciprocated between guide members 3| and the bottom. 26. The guide members 3| may be riveted to the bottom 26, `and the plate 30 may be provided with a finger stud 32, which stud is adapted to move between the guide members 3|, through the elongated slot 28, and into the locking extension 29 as will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 4 especially.

As stated hereinbefore, when the ordinary pipe smoker finishes a bowlful of tobacco, there is ordinarily a substantial percentage of good tobacco still retained in the bowl for, as is well known, pipe smokers do not ordinarily as a matter of fact smoke a pipeful of tobacco completely. Instead of throwing the pipeful of ashes and said good tobacco away in the ordinary ashtray in the usual way, the contents of the bowl may be emptied into the basket of my invention. The lid may be locked, and in this condition it will be noted that the asbestos layer will not only function to protect the user from any hot ashes or tobacco or smoke, but will function also to extinguish any lighted tobacco. The can may be shaken either after a single bowlful has been emptied into the basket or after a number of bowlfuls. 'I'he ashes will pass through the mesh of the basket While the tobacco will be retained therein, it being understood that the baskets may be made of any suitable mesh to divide the ashes from the tobacco. The ashes will be sifted into the chamber beneath the basket and may be emptied by opening the bot tom by means of the movable plate 3S. The elongated slot 26 may then be closed and the tobacco may be removed from the basket as desired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tobacco sifter, a container into which the contents of a pipe are adapted to be emptied,

a screen element secured Within the container and adapted to retain the tobacco of said contents and permit the ashes to sift through, said container having an ash-receiving compartment below said screen, and said compartment having a slot and a closure plate adapted to open and close upon said slot to permit the removal of ashes.

2. In a tobacco sifting device, a container into which the contents of a pipe are adapted to be emptied, said container having a basket secured in spaced relation therein, and said basket being adapted to retain tobacco from said contents and to permit ashes to sift therethrough, an asbestos cover for sai-d basket and container, and a catch element for maintaining said cover in closed condition, said container having a bottom provided with an aperture and a movable closure plate adapted to be closed to retain the sifted ashes and to be opened to permit the Withdrawal of the sifted ashes.

3. In a tobacco sifting device, a container into which the contents of a pipe are adapted to be emptied, a screen element therein suspended above the bottom of said container and adapted to permit ashes to be' sifted therethrough and retain unburned tobacco, and an ash dumping aperture in said container below said screen.

HANS TEODORE WIDGREN. 

